2005 Boxster S common question?

[ndonald]

This is only my second post so again pls be kind..

I have been enjoying my 05 boxster S until in our local paper in Canada I read in the Wheels section an article about how great the 05 Boxster was as a used car, lots of positive points and only one negative "total engine annihilation"... so I have been reading about the IMS failures etc..couple of questions

my car is an 05 with 26,000 K ( or 15,000 miles) 6 speed.

I understand that the engine could be different (regarding the failure rate)in 05 (how can I tell )

I read about getting the bearing replaced.. anyone know someone in Ontario that may do it? Or one close to a border (buffalo) that would do it.

I have full porsche warranty until next March.

Any other advice other than drive it hard until MArch then sell ?

[logray]

My advice is the following.

I am of the opinion that complete engine meltdown is rare. There are a TON of Porsche's still on the road with their original bearing driving today without any problem or concern or knowledge of IMS failure.

Yes there are plenty of threads about failure on the Internet, and there is an equal amount of nervous people reading them - it is human nature to focus on stuff that is bad, while there aren't any solid statistics about failure rates/etc.

ANYWAYS.

DRIVE THE CAR and don't worry about it.

:cheers:

[ndonald]

This is only my second post so again pls be kind..

I have been enjoying my 05 boxster S until in our local paper in Canada I read in the Wheels section an article about how great the 05 Boxster was as a used car, lots of positive points and only one negative "total engine annihilation"... so I have been reading about the IMS failures etc..couple of questions

my car is an 05 with 26,000 K ( or 15,000 miles) 6 speed.

I understand that the engine could be different (regarding the failure rate)in 05 (how can I tell )

I read about getting the bearing replaced.. anyone know someone in Ontario that may do it? Or one close to a border (buffalo) that would do it.

I have full porsche warranty until next March.

Any other advice other than drive it hard until MArch then sell ?

Kind of what I was thinking too...Appreciate the response.

[portmoodyporsche]

This is only my second post so again pls be kind..

I have been enjoying my 05 boxster S until in our local paper in Canada I read in the Wheels section an article about how great the 05 Boxster was as a used car, lots of positive points and only one negative "total engine annihilation"... so I have been reading about the IMS failures etc..couple of questions

my car is an 05 with 26,000 K ( or 15,000 miles) 6 speed.

I understand that the engine could be different (regarding the failure rate)in 05 (how can I tell )

I read about getting the bearing replaced.. anyone know someone in Ontario that may do it? Or one close to a border (buffalo) that would do it.

I have full porsche warranty until next March.

Any other advice other than drive it hard until MArch then sell ?

Kind of what I was thinking too...Appreciate the response.

[berty987]

There is also the option of an LN engineering bearing upgrade.

[txhokie4life]

There is also the option of an LN engineering bearing upgrade.

'05's are iffy here. I've heard (YMMV) some have IMS's that are larger than the case opening and cannot

be retrofitted. They only way to know is to split the tranny from the engine and look.

An IMS Guardian maybe a better option here.

M

Edited September 20, 2011 by txhokie4life

[JFP in PA]

The 2005's are hard to read in terms of which ones have the larger diameter bearings and which ones don't. I have seen early cars (March production) with the big bearing, and later cars (June) that did not. Only way to know for sure is to pull the gearbox and flywheel and then look............

[BuzzC4S]

Having had a 05 Boxster with 35000 miles and no problems (traded in for a new Boxster S) and still have my 2005 Carrera, I still say drive it like you stole it. Yes, the IMS is the weak spot and if it lets go, you are toast. There are MANY 996/986 and 997/987 vehicles with no problems and you will see those that do have the problem post it immediately.

If you are constantly worrying about it, LN engineering is the way to go (it'll set you back about $1200 installed) Peace of mind vs. the 1% chance of a $15000 repair

[berty987]

The 3.2 engine is an M96 and uses a single row 20mm bore 47mm outer diameter by 14mm thick 6204 bearing, the later cars use a larger bearing. An LN engineering upgrade is available that replaces the standard bearing with a ceramic hybrid unit and can be done with hte engine in place without the need for a full strip down. Its still a costly exercise as the gearbox , clutch and flywheel need to be removed to gain access.

[Marc Saegaert]

I take delivery of my 39000 mile 2005 S tomorrow and have been reading about the IMS failure for about a year now. I finally decided that it was time to bite the bullet and stop fretting. I'm missing on a a ton of fun so it just isn't worth the worry; I'm not going to invest in another 1200 dollars and hope that I'm not looking at a catastrophic meltdown down the road. As soon as I hear that engine note I heard when test driving it (x2), the last thing on my mind will be a bad bearing. And believe me, it's not that I can afford a 17,000 dollar bill. Sort of makes it all a bit more exciting, doesn't it? Good to be here and I look forward to looking through the archives for the answers to a few questions I have, and then to posting if I can't find them. Hello all and happy driving. Marc